American Civil war?

Question

considering the military, economic and political factors, why would you think the South never really stood a chance?

Answer 1

The Confederacy did not have the logistical infrastructure to support a long war. They were hoping that the Brits would enter on the side of the South. Had the Brits entered, broke the blockade, and supplied the South it may have been very different.

Answer 2

The North was a fully industrialized region of the country where 99% of the firearms and ammo were produced. The south on the other hand had to either import or capture weapons with the south's few gun manufacturers producing a few hundred thousand hand weapons and very few cannon. The other great hassle was steam engines they were produced mainly in the north next to the steel mills another thing the south didn't have. the only thing the south could do to keep up was trade cotton for guns but the blockade made that increasingly impossible thus the die was cast for the south years before the war was started. While the pre war army had plenty of southern sympathizers their very few in the navy and thus when war broke out the navy was barely affected while the army lost the cream of it's officers and at least a quarter or more of it's troops. this allowed the south a good ground force but at sea it was a lost cause and with the loss of control of the southern ports the south was doomed with no way to keep supplying their army while the north had free trade all over the world.

Answer 3

Population-wise, the North outnumbered the South about 10 to 1...which gave it a much larger manpower pool from which to draw soldiers. Also, the North was a manufacturing power...while the South's economy was more oriented towards agriculture. Therefore, the South was not as able to manufacture the necessary weaponry.
For the first two years of the war...while the South had good manpower and armament resources...it won the great majority of the battles due to superior commanders. As the size of the Southern army began to get whittled down, and as war machinery (weapons and artillery, and also trains, etc.) was used up and not easily replaced, the North began to get the upper hand.
The biggest reason Grant was such a successful commander was that he realized he had an enormous materials and manpower advantage...and was not hesitant to USE it. He never won a battle in which he didn't have MORE casualties than the South...but he was willing to accept those casualty rates because he knew he could replace the men easier than the South could replace theirs. He knew he could win a battle of atrition.
The South never had a chance to "win" the war in the sense of conquering the North. It did have two potential opportunities to successfully secede:
1. The individual Southern states could have informed congress, the Supreme Court, and the Secretary of State that they were withdrawing from the Union. Prior to the Civil War, several other states (including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania) had...at various times...threatened to secede, and the threat was taken very seriously. In fact, it was generally accepted that a state DID have the right to withdraw from the Union. If a court case on this matter had gone to the Supreme Court, the court would most likely have ruled in the South's favor.
2. If the South could have held out a little longer in 1864, McClellan would almost certainly have defeated Lincoln in the election that year...and McClellan had already stated publicly that he would end the war and "good riddance" to the South. This opinion was the majority view in the North at that time...people were tired of three years' worth of war...and most Northerners didn't care for Blacks, either. They certainly didn't think they were worth losing White lives to free. Most polls had McClellan a 20% favorite to win the election....which is why many Lincoln supporters urged him to cancel the election because of the war. (To Lincoln's credit, he did not do so...)
Joseph E. Johnston was fighting a defensive battle around Atlanta, and successfully keeping Sherman out of the city. But that didn't suit the Southern politicians, who felt it unmanly not to attack. So Johnston was replaced with John B. Hood....who attacked Sherman, and was soundly defeated and had to evacuate the city. That victory turned around sentiment in the North, and people began to sense a victory.

Answer 4

One, the center of government was in the north and that is where the main center of the army so the North had that advantage from the get-go.

In addition, the South earned most of their profits from selling cotton to the North and Europe. Early on in the war, the North blocked a lot of their seaports, effectively cutting off most income.

However, with the South's stubborn fighting spirit and determination that the North lacked, I think they would have one easily if Lincoln hadn't abolished slavery to prevent France and Britain from joining the war. If they had, they would have joined the South and would have easily crushed the North.

Answer 5

OH, let me think... Ok. because of the military, economic and political factors, the South was destined to lose the war.

Answer 6

All of the factors from financial wealth, population, percentage of Railroads and industry, and legality favored the north. The only reason it lasted as long as it did was because most of the best military leaders at the time came from the south.

Answer 7

The Confederate military was simply not so well trained as their Northern counterparts. Most industry was in the North, thus access to the arms and supplies manufactured there were easier to the Yankees. Also, the Southern government was denied foreign commerce by the Federal naval blockades. So while the North manufactured arms, artillery, and supplies for their better drilled soldiers, and made money and gained economic support through foreign commerce, the South had next to nothing coming into their country. Without access to arms, food, munitions, even shoes, the Southern forces were slowly worn down until they could no longer resupply themselves, feed themselves, or even properly care for their wounded.
There was no law or amendment making it illegal to secede from the Union, other than the Article provisions prohibiting the States from entering into treaties or alliances without consent of the US Congress (Article I, Section 10) This wouldn't apply, however, if the States governments issued Ordnances of Secession, as many did, voted and ratified by their State Legislatures to dissolve their ties to the U.S.

Political issues may be a little too touchy for this answer, particularly the issue of involuntary servitude. This issue is not the "only reason" for the war, but most think its the only one that matters. To each, his own. I say no man be held in servitude to another. Many Southern officers believed the same.

FYI: Slave importation was permitted at least until 1808, per Article I Section 9 of the Constitution. Was not finally outlawed until 13th Amendment in 1865. Apparently our "Founding Fathers" were not thoughtful enough to stop something that still divides this country today. The Confederate Constitution outlawed the importation of slaves from anywhere but the United States of America. If slavery was such a big issue for them, they pretty much began ending it in the beginning, wouldn't you say? In an era where it was easier to own a machine than feed an extra person?


After the war, citizens of the thirteen States that ratified the Confederate constitution were denied:

I. The holding of public office in their state (Section 3, 14th Amendment)

II. The right to vote (Section 2, 14th Amendment)

III. Citizens (non-combatants, civilians) were denied any monies for any unjust destruction of their homes or property by US soldiers, mainly because most of them were considered "sympathizers", whether they were or not. I'm sure that the civilians in Vicksburg, or Atlanta got no compensation, right? (Section 4, 14th Amendment)

Having lost numerous valuable commanders, deprived of weapons, commerce, training, horses, livestock, food, medicines, men to fight, and other supplies, a nations army loses the ability to make war.

They had a fighting chance in the beginning, but the tide of battle turned against them. At least, though, they fought for what they believed in, something that takes courage to do. With courage, and love of their home land, they did their duty as their conscience gave them strength to do it.

Answer 8

Slavery was the overriding issue. States' rights was smoke and mirrors, an excuse, not a reason to rebel. The South wanted to avoid making slavery their stated cause. It was seen as bad P.R. They knew that they would need help from Europe, probably Britain. Many European countries would have preferred that the U.S. be fractured. States had ceded their authority, when they ratified the Constitution. The Constitution was designed to place the federal authority over the states, because the original plan. of a weaker federal government had failed, under the Articles of Confederation. Newspaper articles, from the time of the ratification votes, urged ratification on the grounds that it would prevent states from secession.

Answer 9

south didnt have the same scale of industry as the north, and although it had a larger number of well trained military officers their populations just couldnt match up with the unions

Answer 10

They were an agarian society. The North was industrialized. That is the biggest problem. Cotton and timber do not go up well against steel and iron.